Anduril Industries, a defense technology company on a mission to transform U.S. and allied military capabilities with advanced technology, has formed a strategic partnership with Hanwha Defense USA in pursuit of the U.S. Army’s Small Multipurpose Equipment Transport (S-MET) Increment II program. Anduril will serve as the prime contractor to deliver a modified, autonomy-ready Uncrewed Ground Vehicle (UGV) based on Hanwha’s proven Arion-SMET platform, which has already demonstrated its performance in highly-relevant and varied environments in the Indo-Pacific, including the latest Foreign Comparative Testing with the U.S. Army and Marine Corps in Hawaii. In addition to Anduril Industries and Hanwha Defense USA, Forterra (formerly RRAI) will bring its AutoDrive® vehicle autonomy solution to enable complex on and off-road maneuvers. By combining Anduril’s mission software integration expertise with Hanwha’s proven hardware platform and Forterra’s mature autonomy stack, the partnership will deliver a differentiated UGV designed to bring capability far beyond equipment transport to a range of missions.
“The U.S. Army’s S-MET Inc II requirement is a natural evolution for the Hanwha Arion-SMET vehicle, while the partnership with Anduril and Forterra provides a refreshing, innovative and agile addition to the Army’s industrial base,” said John Kelly, President & CEO of Hanwha Defense USA.
“We are thrilled about partnering with Hanwha Defense USA and Forterra to provide mature and proven hardware and software solutions to the S-MET program. By combining Anduril’s electronics and software, Hanwha Defense USA’s proven hardware, and Forterra’s proven off-road vehicle autonomy stack, the partnership will bring speed, flexibility, and advanced capabilities to dismounted infantry. With a simplified user interface powered by Lattice, users will be able to quickly and easily command and control the S-MET to support lethal effects at the tactical edge,” said Zach Mears, head of strategy at Anduril.
Equipped with significant load-carrying and power generation capacity, as well as a modular architecture that ensures the vehicle can integrate and power a vast range of payloads, the new, upgraded vehicle brings both advanced capability and a reduced sustainment burden to dismounted infantry operations. Anduril’s S-MET vehicle is designed with survivability in mind, meeting power and performance needs while maintaining a low acoustic signature, ensuring that it serves as an asset, not a liability, on the modern battlefield. Built to military specifications to support ground troops, the vehicle will enable Soldiers to simultaneously operate the vehicle, power and manage payloads, maintain communications, and carry out force projection and protection missions safely in complex environments. With a proven history of deploying robotic systems at scale in highly relevant environments, the combined team of Anduril Industries, Hanwha Defense USA, and Forterra stands ready to deliver advanced capabilities to the S-MET Increment II program that are aligned with both current and future soldier needs.
Anduril Industries is a defense technology company with the mission to transform US and allied military capabilities with advanced technology. Anduril utilizes advancements including AI, computer vision, sensor fusion, optics and automation to solve complex national security challenges.
Hanwha Defense USA (HDUSA), is an American defense business affiliate of Hanwha Aerospace and focus on localization of Hanwha Defense products through US partners and its organic engineering, operations and program management capability.
Forterra is a leading provider of autonomous systems for ground-based movement in the working world. The company is among the earliest innovators in the field of driverless technology, focused on building systems which protect front-line soldiers and enable civilian workers in our industrial base.
